Number (multiplication and division): Bugs in Amber
The Problem
Dr Jones, the famous explorer and mathematician, discovered some lumps of amber in an area of land close to the Baltic Sea. Each lump had a single fossilised bug inside it. The bugs were a mixture of six-legged insects and eight-legged arachnids like the ones shown in the picture opposite.
Dr Jones decided to count all of the bugs’ legs. He counted 86 legs in total.
How many lumps of amber with an 8-legged arachnid inside might he have discovered?
How many lumps of amber with a six-legged insect inside might he have discovered?
Can you convince someone that you have found all possible solutions?
Did you know?
Scientists have been studying amber for centuries to learn more about extinct species. More than 1000 extinct insect species have been discovered in amber so far, and it is likely that many more will be discovered in the future.
Visualising the Problem and Getting Started
What is the greatest number of eight-legged arachnids there could be? How do you know?
